I Write Sins Not Tragedies
by ChipsAhoyPup
Summary: After an unfortunate event, Light moves into the Wammy's House. At just twelve years old, will he make friends, or enemies? Will he find love, or hate? Will he be free, or wish to escape?
1. L's Story, and the Newcomer

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies**

**ChipsAhoypup**

**Warning: Boy love. Don't like, don't read.**

**A/N I always wondered… what if L and Light were kids, and everything was drastically different?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. Credit for plot bunnies of the story go to NikkaCatMeki.**

_A small, raven-haired toddler stood in front of large metal gates that towered over him. He stood silently as the rain dripped in a melancholy manner around him and his companion, an old man who held an umbrella over the boy. This, of course, resulted in the old man getting wet instead; the man didn't seem to mind._

_ "Is this my new home?" The youngster squeaked, looking beyond the gates, where a large mansion stood in the eerie darkness of the rainy sky._

_ "Yes," The elder said quite curtly._

_ "Will Mommy come to visit often?" The kid continued, pressing his thumb into his pale lips, his ebony eyes wide with curiosity._

_ "…No. In fact, you should completely forget about your mother."_

_ "W-what? Why?" The innocent child turned his gaze upon the older one, his eyes widening even more, if possible. His mouth gaped open to reveal his thumb, which was shining with saliva._

_ "You will never see her again," The man said gravely. _

_ "No… that can't be true. I don't believe you. Mommy will come back. You'll see," The kid said defiantly, although there was a hint of uncertainty in his voice._

_ "…" The man brushed a wet hand through the child's obsidian hair. "I'm sorry…" Was all he could say._

_ And in that moment, the boy realized the cold hard truth: his mother was gone forever. Although this happened to many boys his age, he had pushed that possibility away, like most ignorant kids would do. But it was too late to push it out of his mind. What he had thought was impossible, had actually happened._

_ In a rush of panic, he did the first thing that came to mind: he burst through the gate and bounded through the green yard of his new home, the Wammy House. Tears stung his eyes, and mixed with the rain that dripped down onto him. He didn't know where he was going. All he knew was he was attempting to escape._

_ Attempting to escape the impossible._

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

"L! Hey, L! Wake up!" A small, white-haired boy excitedly nudged a sleeping figure. The one being nudged sat up immediately, stifling a yawn. His raven hair was all messed up, sticking out to all ends, giving him the appearance of one who had just got out of bed; in the boy's defense, he had, in fact, just got out of bed.

"Nnh? What is it, Near?" L rubbed his dark eyes.

"The newcomer is here! Remember, the one that Roger has been talking about for a while now?" Near answered, looking strangely enthusiastic in contrast to his usual emotionless mask.

"Yes, I remember." L nodded. "Hm. What was his name again? Lamp?"

"Light Yagami." Near smirked, looking triumphant at the fact that he had known something L hadn't.

"Oh, right…"

"Come on, come on." Near yanked L rather violently out of bed, and pulled the drowsy genius down the stairs. L rubbed the small, annoying crusty things that were clinging stubbornly to his eyes. Roger had called it sleeping dust, but it was quite obvious that it wasn't anything related to dust.

L felt himself come to a stop. He grunted and pulled his wrists away from his face, opening his eyes to get a good look at the newcomer; him and Near were hiding behind the sofa, since Roger had forbidden them to come down to the area where newcomers arrived.

Said newcomer was looking nervous; his caramel eyes glimmered apprehensively, while he brushed a small hand through his brunette hair. He looked to be about L's age; twelve years old, maybe? He was dressed rather formally for such a young kid. He wore a brown suit, with a red tie that he adjusted at random intervals.

"He looks like a pampered pedigree," L hissed.

"Ugh… he's probably overly-confident," Agreed Near quietly.

"One of the kids who think they're so perfect."

"Even though they can't count to ten."

"But they hide it with their good appearance."

The two glanced at each other and nodded in agreement. With that, they began to crawl away, when a pair of hands shot out from behind an armchair and latched onto L's sleeve. Before L could utter a squeak, he was dragged over to the owner of the hands, where a hand pressed firmly against his lips.

"Say anything and we're dead," Whispered a familiar voice. The hand was removed from his mouth, and he turned to stare at his kidnapper. His abductor had blonde hair that hung to his chin, and his choice of clothing was, oddly enough, leather. A bar of chocolate hung from the side of his mouth. The gender of this thief could be questioned.

"Mello?" L whispered, receiving a smack upside the head.

"I told you not to speak, idiot." With those words, it became silent. The two peered out from behind the armchair, and L realized that Near had disappeared; the lucky albino was able to escape from the chocolate addict's violent grasp.

Speaking of chocolate, a certain addict couldn't resist a bite. A loud crack caused L to flinch, and he glanced over at Mello, who had a piece of chocolate in his mouth. His eyes were wide; he obviously hadn't meant for the chocolate to make that loud of a sound when being bitten into.

L opened his mouth to speak, but someone else's voice said, "Were you two spying on me?" L jumped; the voice had come from right next to his ear. He quickly whirled around to see the brunette glaring at them.

"What's it to you?" Mello snapped rudely, accidentally spitting chocolatey saliva everywhere in the process.

"What do you mean, what's it to me? It's impolite to spy on someone, you know. As well as talk with your mouth open." So L and Near had been right. This kid _was_ a complete brat.

"We were playing Hide and Seek, for your information," L lied, irritated by this kid already.

"Why'd you choose such a pathetic hiding spot?"

"Listen, you punk," Mello began, glaring menacingly, "you just arrived. We've been here for years. If I were you, I'd be a little less conceited, and a little more respectful."

"I'm not conceited," Snapped the kid. His face was red in anger, and mixed with his caramel-colored hair, he reminded L of a candy apple.

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Mello, Roger's going to kill us," L broke in, before Mello could shout his 'Are too!'

"Shut up, L." Mello turned his glare onto L, who backed away some. With that, the blonde-haired one got up and stalked away, grumbling to himself about 'conceited, snotty brats.'

"I'd better go," L hastily said, upon hearing Roger's voice. "It was nice meeting you… Light, was it?" Without waiting for an answer, L turned and fled the room. In the nick of time, too; just as L disappeared, Roger came into the room.

Light stared after the raven-haired child. After a moment, he shook his head. "Strange place…" He muttered to himself before turning to Roger with a forced smile.

**A/N So, this may be hard to understand, but Light is at the Wammy's House. Hoorah! You'll find out why next chapter, believe me.**

**Oh, and by the way, they all are generally around the same age. L and Light are twelve; Mello, and Matt are ten; Near is eight… and yeah. They're all kids, but are surprisingly sophisticated.**

**And Mello bosses L around even though L is older than him. But, Mello is just cool like that, so you understand. **

**I hope you liked the first chapter, please review and tell me what you thought. ^^**


	2. Light's Story, and the Plan

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies**

**ChipsAhoypup**

**Warning: Boy love. Don't like, don't read.**

**A/N Did you know 'prende la luz' means 'turn on the light' in Spanish? So… "prende Luz" would mean "Turn on Light"? **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. Credit for plot bunnies of the story go to Nikkacatmeki.**

_ A young brunette sat up in bed, his eyes wide as he let out a scream. He'd had yet another nightmare, which were frequent lately. A woman burst into the room and raced up to the boy, quickly picking him up and cradling him in her arms._

_ "Mommy… it happened again…" The brunette whimpered, pressing his face into his mother's shoulder._

_ "What was it this time?" His mother whispered, staring at him intently._

_ "I was out in the Amazon, searching for rare fossils… and then… a crocodile ate me," The boy said sheepishly, as if now realizing how moronic his nightmare had been._

_ "Don't worry… you're safe now," His mother murmured, stroking his hair. The child closed his eyes, feeling comforted by his mother's presence, and soon fell asleep in her arms._

_The boy woke up hours later upon hearing a loud crash. He found that he was back in his bed, and his mother was no where to be found. The child clambered out of bed and padded into the living room, the source of the sound._

_ The window had a large, gaping hole in it, with shattered glass scattered around on the floor nearby. "M-mom?" The kid glanced around wildly, becoming panicked; he'd seen movies like this before, where a robber had crashed through the window and either stole jewelry… or the child._

What if it's a kidnapper? What if he's out to get me? _The brunette thought in a panic. He ran off to his mother's room, to find what he least expected, and what would haunt his slumber forever._

_ It was a man, standing over a familiar limp body, holding a knife that shone with blood. "Mom," The brunette yelped. The man whirled around to meet the brunette's eyes. And the kid immediately recognized this man. "Dad?!" _

_ "I had to, son," The man replied, sticking the knife into his wife's body one last time. He got up and advanced on his son, who backed up some._

_ "N-no… you're…you're a murderer…" _

_ "Light. Listen to me," The father began._

_ "No! You killed mom! How could you do that?!" Light burst into tears._

_ "It was for her own good—" _

_ "For her own good?! Why, what did she do?!" _

_ "You don't understand—" _

_ "No, and I don't want to!" Light turned and ran for his life; he burst out the door, into the rain. He bounded through the streets of the city, the street lights illuminating the rain ominously. He didn't know where he was going. All he knew was he was attempting to escape._

_ Attempting to escape the impossible._

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

After L had escaped the danger of Roger, he went straight to the kitchen. It was breakfast time, and most of the kids were raiding the cabinets.

"Hey, L," Called one kid, waving. The kid had raven black hair that hung to his shoulders, and his eyes gleamed a dull gray. He wore a black long-sleeved shirt, which was stained with purple liquid, and a pair of jeans.

"Hi, B," L greeted, walking over to his friend. B's gray eyes shone with happiness; beside him stood a brown-haired, brown-eyed, average-looking kid, who wore a casual red t-shirt and jeans. "Hello, A," L added.

"…Hi," The brown-haired one answered quietly, before hiding behind B. It was said that A didn't talk to anyone but B, and the two companions had not denied it.

"So, L, you've seen that new kid, right?" B asked with a smirk.

"Yes," L confirmed. "He seems like a buzzkill though."

"Huh. What's he like?" B asked, and L described Light in perfect detail. "…He does sound like a buzzkill," B agreed after L was finished explaining.

"Yeah," L muttered with a sigh. "It's a shame. I was hoping someone interesting would come."

"Interesting how?" A spoke up, peering out from behind B.

"I don't know… someone even more interesting than us," L answered with a shrug.

"The only person more interesting than us is Marilyn Manson," B snorted.

"And Lady Gaga," Mello added as he walked by. He was heading straight for the candy cabinet, with an obvious intention to smuggle out some chocolate.

"I guess you're right," L murmured.

"Of course I'm right," B and Mello said in unison. The two glanced at each other, then looked back at L; Mello sank his teeth into a fresh chocolate bar.

"Hey, why don't we play a prank on him?" Mello suddenly suggested, his eyes dancing mischievously.

"Yeah," A and B enthusiastically squeaked.

"I don't know… Wouldn't we get in trouble?" L tilted his head to the side. He always thought straight to the consequences, which most of the other orphans didn't do.

"Who _cares_?!" Mello snarled. "So, are you in, or are you out?"

L hesitated, but the three stared at him, and he eventually gave in to the peer pressure. "Alright, count me in."

**A/N I didn't want B to look exactly like L, since poor Lighto would be confused, which I didn't want. B looks similar, but there are major differences in appearance, so as not to get the two mixed up.**

**(Also, it would be weird if a kid was idoling another kid…)**

**Oh, and A is in this story! Oh my God! The poor kid never gets mentioned… but he's part of the Wammy's, no matter how small a role. I mean, in L.A.B.B., his role was about as big as Matt's, and Matt has thousands of fangirls around the world.**

**It's easy for me to picture A as an average-looking, shy kid. (The average-looking idea came from Nikkia, and I imagined him as shy.)**

**Anyways, I hope this chapter satisfied you. **

**Reviews are love.**


	3. Medication, and Realization

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies**

**ChipsAhoypup**

**Warning: Boy love. Don't like, don't read.**

**A/N Nothing to say really… Except for a little side-note of the last chapter: Yes, Soichiro was the one who killed Light's mom. They had gotten divorced, and I guess Soichiro had mental issues and killed his ex-wife… So yeah. The cop is actually a criminal. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. Credit for plot bunnies of the story go to Nikkacatmeki.**

_ "What do you see in this picture?" A sophisticated-looking man with glasses held up yet another sheet of paper, with a meaningless blob splattered over the page; it looked like a three-year-old had drew it._

_ "B-blood…" Whispered an auburn-haired child._

_ "And this one?"_

_ "A knife…"_

_ "Uh-huh… and what about this one?"_

_ "More blood… and my Dad holding the knife…" The brunette burst into tears, just as he had the night the worst thing possible had happened._

_ "Uh…" The man got up from where he was sitting, placing the ink-blots on a counter. He slowly made his way over to the sobbing child and awkwardly put a hand on the kid's shoulder._

_ The man led the kid out into the hall, where phones rung constantly. The man urged the brunette into a seat and walked over to a counter. He leaned over and whispered to the receptionist, "Light Yagami is going to need medications… Oh, and find a foster home suitable for him."_

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Six boys sat hiding in a cabinet. There wasn't much space, so the boys were stepping on each other and hitting each other in the face. By accident, of course.

"Mello, get your foot out of my ass!"

"You know you like it, Matt."

"Whether or not Matt likes it, I most certainly don't."

"That's not my foot."

"It's my elbow."  
"Near, can you get my elbow away from me then?"

"Sorry, L."

"Who's hand is in my face?"

"…Mine…"

"Then that's okay."

"Everyone be quiet, Light's coming."

"…Don't tell me what to do, Near."

"Mello, shut up."

"Sorry, Matt."

The cabinet was haunted with silence, and the kids tried to keep from squirming in impatience.

All of a sudden, the darkness opened up to reveal light… and Light. The six boys screeched sinisterly and leapt at Light. The poor brunette yelped as he was tackled to the ground. The attackers burst out into laughter.

The victim, however, had started bawling. This caused the others to stop laughing.

"I told you it was a bad idea," L grumbled flatly.

"No you didn't!" Snapped Mello. "You _wanted_ to do it. It was all _your_ idea!"

L's eyes widened as he pointed to himself. "Me?!" He asked incredulously.

"Yeah, you."

"Um… Mello… It was _your_ idea," A pointed out quietly.

"Who asked you, squirt?!" Mello turned on A, who shrank back.

"Hey, don't take it out on him!" B defensively spread his arms out in between A and Mello.

"Would you rather I take it out on you?" Mello threatened.

"Oh, you can try, but don't cry when I beat you to a pulp!" B raised a fist.

"Stop fighting," L shouted suddenly. Everything became silent, with the exception of Light's crying.

"What's going on in there?" Roger called. In a flash, Near, Mello, B, A, and Matt all scurried off, leaving L and Light alone.

L realized he was going to be in trouble, and got up to leave; but just then, something yanked on his pants leg. L turned, startled, to see Light staring up at him, with tears still sliding down his cheeks.

"W-what do you want?" L asked, captivated by the flood of emotions that came from the boy.

"Don't leave me," Light whimpered. L faltered. He then noticed the glazed look in the other boy's eyes… it was almost scary. It was as if the boy was traumatized, was in a nightmare, and couldn't sense his surroundings. Couldn't tell who's pants leg he was gripping.

But Roger's footsteps were getting closer, and L wasn't about to take the blame just because this kid was having mental issues. "Sorry," L responded, pushing the clinging hand off and turning away. Without looking back, he fled the room.

As soon as L caught up to the other five, they burst out laughing again. L was panting, a wild look in his eyes, as if he'd just escaped a T-rex on a rampage.

"Did you see that kid cry? You'd have thought he'd seen a monster," Mello snickered.

"It's as if we pulled the stick out of his ass," Added B.

"Guys…" L began as soon as he finally caught his breath. "I think there's something wrong with him."

"What do you mean?" Near asked, staring at L intently.

"He… he tried to keep me there and asked me not to leave him… and he had a crazed look in his eyes…" L explained, his eyes losing focus as he remembered.

"So, you mean, he needs to see a psychiatrist?" B inquired.

"What? N-no, I just mean…" L trailed off and blinked. After a moment of contemplating, he started up again, "Maybe we shouldn't be so mean to him. He may have had it rough before he arrived here."

"Most of us have," Matt pitched in.

"Exactly. Would you want everyone to gang up on you just because you're new here?" L supplied. The five other boys hesitated before shaking their heads. "I thought so."

"But I don't want to be friends with him… he looks like a stick in the mud," Mello complained.

"You don't have to be his best friend forever," L clarified, "but just be a little nicer. And try not to beat him up, no matter how badly you want to." At this, the chocolate addict looked disappointed. Matt rolled his eyes and comfortingly put an arm around Mello's shoulders.

This cheered Mello up some. "Come on, let's go play Mario Kart," He suggested, turning to his best friend. Matt's eyes shone with happiness.

"Okay!" With that, the two raced off to play the electronic games, which are highly addicting.

"…Oh yeah, Roger's teaching the 11-year-olds Algebra today," B groaned. "Come on, A." B grabbed his apprehensive companion by the arm and practically dragged him off to Roger's dreaded educated room.

L and Near were left all alone. The two stood awkwardly for a minute, before departing; one headed to the kitchen to fetch himself some sugary treats, while the other went off to finish a partially completed jigsaw puzzle.

**A/N I apologize for the lame ending… Roger's Algebra classes must suck. He's so strict… he probably hits them with rulers if they can't answer an expression right. Poor little mites.**

**Anyways.**

**To clear something up real quick, before you question it: Light only grabbed L because a.) he was the last one in the room, and b.) Light was automatically remembering when his mother got killed, and probably imagined L as his mother at that moment.**

**Poor little Light with his insecure mental issues.**

**Reviews are love, and love gives me inspiration, and inspiration results in a quick update.**


	4. Seclusion, and Nightmares

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies**

**ChipsAhoypup**

**Warning: Boy love. Don't like, don't read.**

**A/N The trauma is starting to be revealed more and more. I'm trying to keep an edge of humor in here to make sure my readers don't get bored, but the plot of the story is starting to unfold.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. Credit for plot bunnies of the story go to Nikkacatmeki.**

_ The sounds of children laughing and tumbling around emitted from inside an orphanage. Rain pattered down on the stone walls, sticking to the large windows. A sign that spelled 'Wammy's House' was almost unreadable due to the heavy showers. The Wammy's House wasn't widely known, and it's exterior design made it seem ancient. Even if people had known about it, they wouldn't have known that the owner of the orphanage only allowed certain children._

_ These exceptional children were all geniuses. They were home-schooled, and already their logic was at a high school level. However, one child was at a college level, and had to be taught separately due to this reason._

_ This child's christened name was Lawliet. But he disliked this name, and asked if it could be changed to the letter L._

_ The owner of the orphanage was much obliged, and did so. Afterwards, many of the children requested their names be changed. Only a couple changed it to a letter, as L had, while others just created a nickname. Either way, they felt more secure with a fake name. They would remain anonymous this way._

_ But back to the matter at hand._

_ This college level child, L, was about 10 years old. He tended to keep himself secluded from the other kids, who would usually try to push him to play. But every time they asked if he wanted to play, he would shake his head and back away without speaking, as if he was mute._

_ Eventually, the other children stopped asking. It seemed that it wasted time. But one day, it all changed._

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

The next day, the six boys met up in the kitchen once more. It was a daily routine really; they'd all gone in to get breakfast at the same time, because they weren't very fond of sleep. L especially.

It was the break of dawn, and L didn't look tired one bit. The other five, however, had trouble stifling their yawns. It was true that they didn't like sleep, and woke up early often, but still, they just couldn't seem to shake off the drowsiness.

As they prepared their breakfast, L vaguely wondered what had happened to Light. He hadn't seen the brunette all day after the…_ incident_. He knew he shouldn't be concerned about the kid, but it didn't stop him from wondering.

"Do you guys know what happened to that Light kid?" L spoke his thoughts, finally unable to contain them.

"Last I heard, he was going to sleep in a room by himself," B growled.

"Apparently everyone else already has a roommate, so he got lucky, the little brat," Mello added with a note of envy in his voice.

"You mean you don't enjoy rooming with me, Mells?" Matt turned to his roommate and put on a hurt face. L couldn't tell if he was joking, or if he really was upset.

"Of course I enjoy it," Mello said, smacking the back of Matt's head, "but it would be nice to have a room to my own."

"I'd rather share a room. B keeps the monsters away," A piped in, with a grateful glance towards B. B smirked, amused, and patted A on the head as one would to a dog.

"That's right. Those monsters won't get you while I'm around," B declared, and A smiled.

"I could care less whether I share a room or not. It's not like L bothers me," Near opinionated with a shrug.

"Ditto." L nodded.

"Ditto?! Where?! I have to catch it!" Matt shouted, thinking L was talking about the Pokémon. Before anyone could correct the confused video game addict, he sprinted off, in search of a non-existent pink blob.

"Dammit, Matt's such a dork," Mello hissed. He sighed in agitation before bounding after where Matt had disappeared.

Only four boys remained in the kitchen.

L rummaged through the cabinets for something to eat. He ended up picking a cinnamon bun. He padded into the dining room, munching on the pastry. A, B, and Near watched him, then went their separate ways, not looking all too hungry.

When the genius arrived in the dining room, he noticed that there was someone already there. But no other kid had gotten up as early as him and his friends before. Puzzled, L climbed into a chair next to the child.

The kid had his face pressed into his arms, which rested on the table. His short, auburn hair spilled out to all sides. As L inspected him, he noticed that the all-too-familiar orphan's breathing was slow and deep. He was fast asleep.

Curious, L lightly poked the kid. As if an alarm had sounded, the kid's head shot up, and L jumped simultaneously. L recognized the kid instantly: Light Yagami.

Light glanced around warily, his eyes wide, before he seemed to recall his surroundings. "Oh… it's you," He murmured upon seeing L.

L felt awkward around this kid. Light had once asked for his help, and L had pushed him away. And this was only yesterday, too. "Um, yeah, it's me… I have a name, you know."

"You didn't tell me it yet," Light remarked, tilting his head to the side.

"Oh, right. My name's L."

"Nice to meet you. I'm—"

"I know who you are. Light Yagami, correct?"

"Y-yeah…" Light looked uncomfortable with the fact that this "stranger" seemed to know his name.

"Why were you sleeping at this table? It looks awfully uncomfortable," L queried.

"I have nightmares often, and I figured that if I slept upstairs, I'd wake everyone up," Light explained. Now that he mentioned it, L could detect dark rings under this boy's eyes. How many nightmares did he have?

"How many nightmares did you have?"

"I lost count… I think at least 3… and they're always the same thing," Light mumbled, gently placing his forehead against the tabletop again.

"Well, what are they?" L asked, an abnormal emotion pushing up towards his throat. Was this concern?

"You'll laugh." Light's voice was muffled as he talked into the table.

"No I won't. I don't laugh. Ever," L insisted.

"…Seriously?" Light peered up at the genius.  
"Seriously." L stared at Light, waiting.

The newcomer took a deep breath, then began, "I was searching for rare fossils in the Amazon. Then… a crocodile tried to eat me…" Light hesitated, examining L's reaction. But the genius was staring intently, without a trace of amusement on his face. So Light continued, "And my mom came to the rescue… she saved me… and before I could thank her… my dad came out of no where with a knife, and he…" Light's voice broke in mid-sentence.

"He what?" L prompted, feeling that he couldn't help this other orphan if he didn't know what this nightmare was about.

"…He killed my mom," Light finished, before pressing his face into the table again. L thought he could hear him sobbing.

_He has a recurring nightmare about his dad killing his mom? And… he's an orphan… Could this be what really happened?_ L pondered as he nibbled on his pastry. _It would make sense. I mean, he did get scared when we jumped out at him… and he asked me not to leave him while his eyes were all glazed over… so… _

But just then, Light sat up again, wiping his tears on his sleeve. L lost his train of thought. Tears were his mortal enemy. The only time L had ever cried was… the fateful day. The day when his mother had gave him away to this awful place.

This place where every child pretended to be happy that they were so intelligent, while deep down, they were miserable.

Many had attempted to escape during L's time at the orphanage. When they thought no one was looking, they'd hurry to the front door and yank it open hurriedly. Every time, in the rush of adrenaline, the child seemed to forget the alarm system.

And instantly, a worker at the orphanage would pounce on the child. And the child would be dragged away to who-knows-where, and never seen again.

No one knew where these kids had been taken to. Rumors went around that they were locked up in a cage, but L highly doubted that.

Light broke into L's reminiscing: "Don't tell the others."

"Hn?" L stared blankly.

"The other kids. Please don't tell them." Light gazed at him pleadingly.  
"I won't," L promised.

"Pinky-swear?" Light held out his smallest finger towards L. This ritual seemed immature, but L knew that if he didn't "pinky-swear", then he would be looked upon as a liar. And L was not a liar.

So the genius hooked his pinky around the other's. "Pinky-swear."

**A/N How sweet. Pinky-swear. I used to pinky-swear with my brother all the time. And my sisters. Although… we were good liars. **

**And, yes, I realize L lies a lot as an adult. But he's not a detective right now, **_**and**_** he's a kid, so he doesn't have a need to lie. **

**Reviews make my world go round.**


	5. Wishes, and Introductions

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies**

**ChipsAhoypup**

**Warning: Boy love. Don't like, don't read.**

**A/N I got a giant brain storm for what is to happen next. I'm excited; the plot is set up a lot more complicated than it had originally been. But I want to reveal it gradually, so that it won't explode all in your faces. So this is probably going to turn pretty mysterious. Bear with me, please. I hope you enjoy mysteries. ^^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. Credit for plot bunnies of the story go to Nikkacatmeki.**

_ A bunch of kids ran about a heavily decorated room, yelling excitedly. Party hats slanted off their heads. The only child that wasn't screaming his head off was a wide-eyed, raven-haired, abnormally-crouching genius. He sat in front of the cake, his knees up to his chests, staring at the frosting intently._

_ Two waxy candles sat on the cake contentedly. The candles each were shaped as the number 1. Together, it made 11. Eleven. L was turning eleven. _

_ He wasn't wearing a hat; he had refused to. He had claimed in a hushed tone, "The string hurts my chin." The other kids had rolled their eyes and snapped them on their own heads, giving L agitated looks, as if not wearing a party hat was illegal._

_ After ten prolonged minutes, Roger finally came out with a match. He lit both of the candle's tips, and everyone in the room sang Happy Birthday. But L wasn't paying attention to anything except for the cake. _

_ Once the song ended, L didn't hesitate in blowing the flames out. "Did you make a wish?" Several children shouted. L didn't respond, and once again, the children grew irritated in his silence._

_ As L mutely scooped handfuls of cake into his mouth, he wondered if his wish would come true. Really, he didn't believe in such childish things as wishes. But it was worth a shot. So, yes, he had made a wish. He had wished his hardest as the children were singing, hoping that it would work. _

_ But the hope didn't do anything to L's faith in wishes. The mere prospect of a wish coming true was humorous in itself, and if L was notorious for laughing, he would've right then. But, no, L kept a straight face, no hint of amusement rising up. He always had been like that, which was why he was carefully avoided._

_ And yet, no amount of hope could brace L for what happened the next day._

_ For, the next day, everything in L's life was flipped upside down._

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

After L and Light had gotten acquainted with one another, (if you can call telling someone your nightmares a form of acquaintance), L offered to introduce Light to the others.

At first, Light was reluctant to talk to them, since his earlier "conversations" with them had not gone so well.

But L convinced the orphan that he was going to make sure none of them would pull anything. Mello especially.

Light finally gave in, and L decided to lead him to Near first, since the calmer orphan was less likely to be rude.

And, it turned out, this was a great decision.

The instant L entered his room, Near glanced up from his dice tower. It was as if an alarm had been placed in his head, and went off whenever L was nearby.

"Hello, Near. I don't think you have been properly introduced to Light," L stated, stepping aside to reveal a wary Light.

"Hello, Light. I'm Near," The albino responded calmly, getting up to shake the brunette's hand.

"Nice to meet you," Light said, looking reassured by Near's polite attitude. "Do you like to build things?" Light inquired, pointing at the half-built dice tower.

"Yes, I'm rather fond of puzzles." Near tilted his head to the side and smiled some. "Do you like puzzles?"

"Sure, they're fun," Light casually replied.

"Wonderful. Would you like to help me finish my tower?" Near proposed. Light faltered, but only for a moment, before nodding. "What about you, L?" The albino turned towards his roommate.

L agreed without much hesitation.

And, for the next half-hour, the three spent their time building what seemed to be a legit dice city. After they had finished, L and Light were just beginning to leave. But Near hastily asked, "Aren't you going to play?"

Puzzled, L and Light turned to see that Near held three dolls—action figures, to be more precise. "Maybe later. I wanted to introduce Light to the other four," L said with a note of apology in his voice.

"Oh… alright then." Near recovered quickly. He grabbed a deck of cards and proceeded to build a house out of them.

And with that, L and Light were off to greet A and B. Light had a little more of a skip in his step, which made L apprehensive. B didn't get along well with new kids. He was like the one jealous dog that would bark at any other dogs that passed by.

But unlike the jealous dog, his bite was way worse than his bark.

L noticed that A and B had their door shut. A sign hung on it that read 'Do Not Disturb.' "Huh… I guess we should visit Mello and Matt instead."

With the change in plans, L could breath easier. Mello's bark was worse than his bite; the total opposite of B. The newfound comrades marched to Mello and Matt's room, and this time L had a slight skip in his step too. But only a slight one.

When they arrived at Mello and Matt's room, they discovered that the door was shut, but there was no sign that claimed that they were not allowed to enter. So L lightly rapped on the door and waited until he heard Matt call, "Come in!"

L yanked open the door. Inside the room, Mello and Matt had their backs facing L and Light, while they rapidly pressed buttons on GameCube controllers.

Right when Light saw the back of Mello's head, his eyes flashed in recognization. But that faded instantly into fear; he seemed to remember how Mello had argued with him before. Not a good first impression.

"Come on," L whispered, tugging Light forward.

"But me and him… we didn't get along well," Light hissed, pointing at the blonde-haired orphan.  
"He doesn't get along well with everyone he first meets. He even used to be mean to me." _Actually, he's still mean to me, but it would be best not to point that out,_ L added silently.

Light still looked uncertain, but L didn't care at this point. He practically dragged Light over to the two gamers, who barely noticed them.

L and Light exchanged a glance, and silently agreed not to bother Mello and Matt until their round was over. So they sat beside each other and watched the intense battle before them.

The red head and the blonde were playing Mario Kart: Double Dash.

Matt, who was, typically, Mario and Luigi, seemed to be an expert at this game. He didn't swerve off of the digital road once, and always seemed to obtain the best items.

Mello, on the other hand, was Peach and Daisy, and was constantly getting "pwned" (as Matt called it) with every item known to man. The blonde was constantly cursing; shells tripped him up, bolts of lightning struck him… Somehow, near the end of the match, Mello pulled up ahead of Matt and declared victory. However, Matt had managed to capture the winged shell.

The shell zipped off of Matt's screen in a flash of blue light. Mere seconds later, it appeared in Mello's screen and slammed into him head-on. Peach and Daisy were sent tumbling backwards, while Mario and Luigi were victorious.

L and Light applauded the avid gamer's victory, and only then did the two notice their visitors.

"What are you two doing in here?" Mello asked accusingly.

"Matt said we could come in," L replied dully.

"Why did you want to come in the first place?" Mello shot back.

"I just wanted to introduce you to Light." L gestured towards the apprehensive brunette who sat beside him.

"Oh yeah… I remember you…" Mello said, his expression unreadable. "I'm Mello." He stuck out a sticky, chocolate-coated hand, which Light politely shook. L had to admit, he was a good actor; disgust didn't even register on Light's face, and he only wiped his hand off once Mello had turned away.

"I'm Matt," Matt piped up, also sticking a hand out; his was a lot less dirty than Mello's, and Light shook it too.

"Nice to meet you both." Light smiled in a friendly manner.

"Hey, why don't we verse each other? Me and Mello versus you and L?" Matt offered, looking enthusiastic.

"I'm game." Mello smirked competitively.

"I've never really played before." Light frowned.

"It's not hard. I've only played once or twice before, but the controls are simple," L explained as Matt handed out controllers. As Matt and Mello began to argue about which car they were going to choose, L demonstrated the controls to Light.

Once Matt and Mello compromised on a car, Light had the controls down by heart. The air in the room became tense as the battle began.

Matt and Mello were their favorite characters, Mario and Peach. L had chosen Yoshi, since he really had no clue who any of the characters were, and Light had chosen Bowser, because he looked "bad-ass." (Mello was the one who had said this; Light was too polite to curse.)

And so began the battle.

Of course Matt and Mello broke out into a fight again. They both wanted to drive, and only one character could drive, while the other threw items.

L and Light had no such problem. The default simply drove, which happened to be Light, while L's character sat in the back. Actually, it seemed better this way; Light somehow seemed to have much experience in driving for a twelve-year-old.

And L had pretty good aim for a twelve-year-old as well. Of course, the genius calculated the angle before throwing a green shell every time the opportunity came up.

It turned out that Matt and Mello were a horrible team. Every time Matt drove, he ended up getting hit repeatedly with shells. Mello was a better driver, but Matt never seemed to want to give up the wheel.

And Matt had just so happened to pick the hardest course in the game: Rainbow Road. The difficult part? The road was a very thin strip of land, and if the driver went off-course and fell off of the road, it took a good 10 seconds before they're allowed back on the track.

This usually gives the opposing team a chance to pull ahead.

Matt, with his horrible driving, fell into the dark perimeter of the course at least 30 times during one round, and Mello was cursing up a storm.

L and Light, however, were oblivious. They were so determined on winning that they barely heard the arguing pair. They ended up winning by a landslide.

Mello started up another round of cursing, while L and Light high-fived each other triumphantly. "Good game," Matt said exasperatedly, while glaring at Mello, who had just caused his high-score to be knocked down to number 2. Matt was _not_ number 2. Not in the video game world, at least.

L and Light could sense the tension between the roommates (it wasn't that hard, what, with Mello swearing at Matt and Matt glaring daggers in response) and decided to leave.

As they entered the hallway, the congratulated each other with praise on their skills.

"Your driving was excellent."

"Are you kidding? That was nothing compared to the way you threw those shells."  
"Handling items is easy. I don't think I'd ever be able to drive."

"Driving is just as easy. I always used to watch my da—" Light broke off in midsentence, and an awkward silence hung between the two. L knew why Light hadn't finished his sentence, and decided to change the subject in fear of Light sobbing again.

"So, would you like to see A and B now?" L hoped the door was open now.

"Sure." Light looked grateful for the transition of thoughts, and they promptly went up to A and B's door for the second time that day.

Luckily, the entrance was ajar this time. What was in the room, however, was unexpected.

A and B were laying on the bed together, sweat beaded on their skin. They were heavily panting. The bed was unkempt, with blankets tossed to the side; it was stripped down to the mattress, which happened to be soaking wet.

"Uh…" L and Light stared, as if unsure whether or not to ask what was going on. But just then, B abruptly sat up and thrust a bucket of water towards L. The genius stumbled backwards while attempting to get a good grip on the bucket.

"Holy water," B mumbled, pulling the blanket up off the floor and wiping the liquid off of himself. "I was getting rid of the monsters for A."

"Why are you so out-of-breath?" L wondered. B and A stared, as if unwilling to answer.

Then B replied: "We always do some sort of tribal dance to keep the monsters away."

L and Light just stared. B cleared his throat and snatched the bucket back from L. "Anyways, what are you two doing in our room?" B asked, seeming to notice Light for the first time.

"I wanted to introduce you to Light." L gestured toward his companion, who looked a little weirded out.

"Oh yeah. You're the one that we made cry, right?" B smirked as Light flinched at the memory. "I'm B, and this is A." He gestured toward his wheezing friend, who was still sprawled out on the mattress.

"Nice to… meet you…?" Light's voice rose an octave. Apparently these two scared the living daylights out of him. Although L could see why.

"Sorry for bothering you, we'll be leaving now." L had easily guessed that Light was scared, and started dragging the grateful brunette out the door.

"Bye," A called with a small wave. As the door shut, L noticed that they had placed a new sign on it which read 'Enter if you dare.'

**A/N This chapter took so long to make. Not to mention I'm a night owl, so I spent most of the night making this.**

**Then in the morning, when I went back to finish, I grew lazy.**

**I'm so much more active and creative in the night than I am during the day. **

**Oh, and I have weekend homework that is building up. I was hoping that the snow would keep us from the impending doom of tomorrow, but it's looking like the odds aren't in my favor.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Reviews to me are like the syrup on the waffle—they make it all the more sweeter. (Fuh, bad analogy is bad.)**


	6. Belief, and Opening Up

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies**

**ChipsAhoypup**

**Warning: Boy love. Don't like, don't read.**

**A/N Wow, I barely have any time to write anymore. D: School is taking up lots of my life, because homework is overloading. But I'm trying to squeeze in some writing here and there… Be patient, please. D:**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. Credit for plot bunnies of the story go to Nikkacatmeki.**

_ The day after the party, the belated birthday boy sat by himself, as usual. The white-haired kid, who had been at the orphanage long before the raven-haired one arrived, was staring at him intently. The raven squirmed under the albino's gaze._

_ The snowy child abruptly sat up, abandoning his jigsaw puzzle. He headed straight for the obsidian child. "Hello," Albino said._

_ "…Hi." The raven glanced away, looking as if he'd rather not talk. _

_ "I'm Near," The albino said, holding out a hand, which the raven shyly took._

_ "I'm L," The raven answered. _

_ "Would you like to play with me?" Near offered, his ebony eyes sparkling with innocence._

_ "Okay." L felt a small smile pulling at the corner of his lips. So his wish _had_ come true. "Just… hang on a second. I have to do something." Before Near could object, L scrambled off to his room._

_ He knelt by his bed, folding his hands together, and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry I doubted you. I do believe in you, God," He whispered. "Thank you." After his small prayer, he opened his eyes, beaming for the first time in years._

_ He remained in his room until his smile wore off, then padded back towards Near, covering himself in his dull shell once more._

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

That night, L was having a strange dream. He hadn't had a dream in a long time, so that made it even stranger.

_L was trudging through a dense forest. The sound of foreign birds echoed from around him. He was equipped with a small dagger, which would be useful if he encountered any dangerous species._

_A rustling in a bush nearby alarmed L, and he halted, turning to stare. The shrub was moving alongside him, as if it had gained feet and was following him. _

_The bush paused, realizing L had stopped. The raven-haired adventurer cautiously made his way towards the unsuspecting shrub, and, without warning, shoved it. The impact sent it toppling over, and the foliage gave way to reveal a sprawled-out Light._

"_Why were you following me?" L asked accusingly._

"_I wanted to help. I heard you were going to capture the tiger that's been killing all the coyotes," Light said, sitting up, looking enthusiastic. He paused, before adding, "If that's okay with you."_

_L hesitated, then decided that there would be no harm letting Light come along. With a wary sigh, he muttered, "Okay." Light looked delighted; he hastily scrambled to his feet. _

_With that, the two continued on their way. _

_After a bit of walking, they came across an ebony coyote. It lay on its side, limp, several chunks of fur and flesh torn from its body. Blood was dribbling down from its wounds, and its eyes were wide open, staring at nothing. _

_Next to it laid a smaller coyote, a brown one, which was whimpering, nuzzling against its larger companion. Before L and Light could move, a large white paw stomped on the brown coyote pup, killing it instantly._

_L and Light's eyes widened, and they glanced up to see the white paw was connected to a giant, albino tiger. Its gray eyes glimmered, and it looked enraged. L held up his dagger, and Light backed up a few paces, weaponless._

_The tiger's glare was aimed straight for the helpless brunette. Quick as lightning, the giant feline pounced at Light, ready to tackle him to the ground, as L could only look on in fear, his knife angled at the tiger as he got ready to charge forward and attempt to save his companion—_

"L, wake up!" A voice hissed, snapping L out of his dream. L glanced around, panicked, still not fully awoken from his dream.

But then he was able to bear his surroundings. He pushed the alarm down, pulling his usual calmness back to the surface. He distinguished the face that peered at him fearfully in the darkness. It was Light.

"What's wrong?" L murmured drowsily, stroking his eyelids with his fists.

"I…" Light glanced behind him warily, inspecting Near's sleeping figure, before facing the raven hair again. "I had the nightmare again…"

L observed Light's face, and realized that tears were glimmering at the brunette's caramel-colored eyes.

"Let's go downstairs," L suggested quietly, climbing out of his bed. He gripped Light's hand and led him through the darkness, down the stairs, and back to the dining room. L crouched on the same chair he'd been on yesterday, and Light faltered, before retreating to his "bed," aka the chair he'd sat at yesterday.

"Was it the same exact nightmare?" L asked the moment Light sat down.

"Y-yes…" Light said, although his eyes traveled around, looking at anything but L.

"You're lying," L said flatly. Light's eyes snapped back towards L, looking awed and scared.

"…Well, it was basically the same thing… although there was something different about it." Light looked reluctant to continue.

"What was it?" L prodded.

Light took a deep breath, then whimpered, "After my dad killed my mom… I was suddenly here. A-and…" Another deep breath. "someone… I couldn't see who… put us in a cage. Me and you. And… a familiar voice… although I can't determine who's voice it was… said, 'It's not my fault. It's yours. Light Yagami. You are the killer.'" Light finished and put his forehead against the table, moaning sorrowfully.

"You're not a killer. You didn't kill _anyone_," L growled.

"But my mom is _dead_. What if it's my fault? It probably _is_ my fault. I was why they got a divorce, I just know it… and my dad was angry about the divorce! That's why he killed my mom! That's why she's dead! It's all _my_ fault!" Light burst out. He was panting now, eyes wide and slightly crazed.

"It's _not_ your fault. It's your dad's fau—"

"No!" Light snapped, interrupting L. "It's not my dad's fault! It's _my _fault! Blaming my dad would be like slamming a revolving door. It's hopeless. I can go around all day, pointing my finger at my dad, shoving the revolving door… It won't do anything. It'll just be a waste of time, a waste of breath. What's the use in that?!"

"The same can be said for blaming yourself," L said rather coldly. "Pointing your finger at yourself is no different than pointing it at someone else. It's still pushing the blame on someone, and it's still reminding you of the _past_. Which is where you're stuck right now, Light. And, like you said, it's exactly the same as slamming a revolving door. It's wasting time. Thinking about the past won't help you leap forward into the future. You have to put the past behind you, forget about all that's happened, and open the new door of opportunities."

Light turned his gaze towards the floor. The dining room became hauntingly silent for a moment, before Light quietly asked, "How do I find the right doorknob? What if I open the wrong one?"

"I'll help you find the right doorknob," L answered just as quietly. "We'll find it together, and open it together."

Their eyes met, and they stared at each other for a moment, a new bond, a new friendship, forming, just in that one shared look... They were opening up to each other, able to tell each other things that they would tell no one else, opening up like friends do.

Opening up like the door they hoped to find.

**A/N This chapter was half angsty and half cheesy. Sorry about that.**

**But there are going to be a **_**lot**_** of angsty/cheesy chapters. It's just part of getting the plot out. So, please bear with me.**

**On that note, I'd like to add this random fact: There was a blizzard today! ^^ I had a snow day, so I was able to type this up. Although I still haven't finished my homework… I'm so lazy.**

**And school's canceled tomorrow too! (It's a REALLY bad blizzard.) So I'll probably update really quickly.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Stay tuned for the next one!**


	7. Cards, and Buddies

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies**

**ChipsAhoypup**

**Warning: Boy love. Don't like, don't read.**

**A/N 6-DAY WEEKEND~ :3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. Credit for plot bunnies of the story go to Nikkacatmeki.**

_ The raven and the albino were assembling a house of cards. The usual silence built up between them as they did so. _

_ "A, get back here!" Shouted a boy nearby as he playfully chased a smaller boy. The boy who shouted didn't notice the raven and albino's card house until he accidentally trampled it._

_ The boy halted, staring panicked at the ruined cards. "Oh God, I'm _so_ sorry," He yelped, sounding strangely sincere. He knelt down by their destroyed abode and attempted to fix it._

_ "It's okay," The raven said quietly. "We can rebuild it ourselves."_

_ "But it was my fault." The boy glanced up at the raven, a strange look in his eyes. "Uh… I'm B," He murmured suddenly, holding out a shaky hand._

_ "L," The raven replied, gripping the held-out hand and shaking it._

_ "Oh wow," B gasped, pulling his hand back and staring at L with wide eyes. "_You're _L? You're the one who's on a college level?"_

_ "Er, yeah…" L looked embarrassed by the sudden fame._

_ "Hey, A, get over here," B called to the smaller boy he'd been chasing earlier. A padded over, glancing back and forth from L and B. _

_ "What?" A asked innocently._

_ "This is _L_." B gestured towards the raven._

_ "H-hi…" A waved shyly. _

_ "Hello." L offered a small smile at the modest brown-haired kid._

_ "I'm A," A whispered, even though L had already heard B calling this kid A earlier._

_ "I'm Near," The albino suddenly spoke up, fed up with being ignored for so long._

_ B and A seemed to finally notice him. "Hello," They said awkwardly._

_ "Would you like to help us build the house of cards again?" Near offered, looking happy once more._

_ "Sure!" A and B chirped in unison._

_ The four new friends began forming the largest house of cards known to Wammy's. Another silence had bubbled up between the four, but it was a welcomed one, an appreciated one, that was only broken by an occasional, "Can you pass me that card?"_

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

After their little inspirational conversation, L and Light were no longer tired. It was about 4 a.m., but they were as wide awake as if it was noon. "So, what did _you_ dream about?" Light turned the tables on his friend.

"Huh?" L stared blankly.

"When you woke up, you looked really tense for a moment. You must've had some kind of dream… possibly a nightmare?" Light pressed.

"I… I don't recall," L murmured, dropping his gaze.

"Now _you're_ lying," Light laughed.

"Am not." L lifted his head to glare at Light intensely.

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am n—"

"Okay, okay," Light interrupted with a sigh. "If you really don't want to tell me, then I guess that's fine." A large amount of depression was enveloped in his words.

"Why do you want to know so bad?" L grumbled.

"I told you all _my_ nightmares. It should only be fair that you tell me yours," Light replied, staring at L bitterly.

"…" L didn't want to admit how true that was. "Okay, fine. But promise me you won't laugh?"

Light held up his right hand solemnly. "I promise."

"…Okay. Me and you were walking through a forest," L began, completely skipping the part where Light was concealed in a bush, "and we came across a dead coyote. A smaller coyote was laying next to it, and suddenly a white tiger killed it… And then the tiger tried to attack you, and I was ready to attack it before it got to you, but… you woke me up before I could find out what happened."

Light was silent for a moment, soaking it all in. "Why do you think we're both inside each other's dreams?" He finally asked.

"Maybe it means something," L suggested, to which Light gave him a '_no, really?_' stare.

"Well, you _are_ my best friend," Light said quietly. L was so surprised that he nearly fell backwards off the chair.

"W-what?" L gasped. He'd never been anyone's best friend before. Sure, he'd been Near's friend, but Near was also friends with A and B, and Matt and Mello. Besides, L was the outcast of the group, who simply followed them around. He wasn't special to them; just another one of the groupies. If he decided to walk off, almost no one would notice. Or, they'd notice, but wouldn't really care, waving it off, declaring that L had just gone off to get some sugary item to eat and would be back. None would follow.

A and B were best friends. Matt and Mello were best friends. And Near was too distant to _have_ a best friend. Light's voice broke into L's thoughts, as usual.

"I don't really know anyone else here… I mean, I know them, but you're the only one who really seems to, I don't know, connect with me," Light admitted.

"…" L was still pretty blown away by this. It took a moment for him to gather his thoughts together, and reply, "I can connect to you more than anyone else here as well. Did you figure out what your mental grade is?"

"Mental grade…?" Light tilted his head to the side curiously.

"They assign each child a grade that matches their IQ. For instance, I'm at a college level, while most kids here are on a high school level."

"…Is there anyone that's at the grade that they're supposed to be at for a kid their age?"

"No. This is an orphanage for only the most intelligent children. Didn't you know that?" Judging by the blank look in Light's stare, he didn't know that. "Oh, wow. Well, you have to be intelligent to be here, and I'm fairly sure that you're qualified."

"When do you think they'll test for my IQ?" Light asked, blinking.

"I… don't know. Sorry." L shrugged his shoulders. "But since today's Sunday" L gestured at the clock, which glowed '5:15', "you should find out tomorrow."

"What's school like here?" Light asked nervously.

"I wouldn't know. I'm all alone in my class," L mumbled. "Although everyone goes to lunch at the same time, so I get to eat with A, B, Matt, Mello, and Near. They usually complain about the amount of homework they're getting."

"Really? Homework was so easy for me," Light remarked. "I usually got it done in two minutes."

"What grade were you in?" L asked curiously.

"7th. We were learning about such stupid stuff though. They hammer the water cycle into your head as if you're going to go outside while it's raining and shout, 'precipitation!' when you're older. But adults still call it rain." Light rolled his eyes.

"Can I test your knowledge on the water cycle since you seem to be so educated on the topic?" L practically pleaded, ebony eyes shining in enthusiasm.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Name all four cy—"

"Precipitation, Surface Run-off, Evaporation, and Condensation." Light counted them off on his fingers. "Do you have a more difficult question?"

L narrowed his eyes. "Okay, what do each do?"

"Precipitation is when the water in the clouds come down, either in the form of rain, snow, or hail. Surface Run-off is when the soil can't hold it anymore, and it forms a sort of river. Evaporation is when the water turns into gas molecules and goes back up to the clouds. And Condensation is when it builds up in the clouds, turning into water again," Light said. "But that's to put it simply. I'm sure there are more detailed answers."

"What's another subject you learned about?" L abruptly changed the subject.

"…I had FC Science, and we were learning about cooking tools," Light muttered, looking as if he was stifling a yawn at the mere mention of FC Science.

"What does FC stand for?" L inquired. This actually wasn't part of his 'test.' He really didn't know what it stood for.

"Family and Consumer Sciences. It's such a boring class," Light replied.

"…Name one tool and what it does."

"Rolling pin, you know what it does."

"…" L stared.

"…Sorry, I was attempting humor," Light said with a smirk.

"Oh… I don't understand jokes," L said, blankly staring at Light, who's smirk faded.

"Okay… Do you want to ask another question?" Light tilted his head to the side.

"Er… what are the symbols for tablespoon and teaspoon?"

"Big T, little t," Light answered simply.

The two continued on, with L asking questions, and Light answering them. It lasted until around 6 a.m., when L's five friends woke up and padded down to arrange their breakfast.

As Near walked by, L couldn't help but notice that the albino shot him a funny look. Was that a… glare? But the look quickly vanished, way too quickly for L to distinguish the expression, and L and Light got down from the dining room table to join the group.

The seven made breakfast, mostly in silence, with the exception of some mild side conversation. "Roger's taking us to the grocery store today," Mello suddenly piped up.

"Yeah, it's the Ls and Ms today," Matt put in.

"Ls and Ms?" Light looked clueless.

"Every month, Roger takes a selected group of kids grocery shopping. The car's really small, so it's always four. He goes in alphabetical order of first names, since most children would rather not reveal their last names in the first place. Usually it's me, Mello, Matt, and Near, but since you came, I believe Near got knocked down to next month," L explained, with an apologetic glance towards Near, who looked unruffled.

"And we have to travel in pairs. It's called the 'buddy system.' It's so we won't 'get lost.' Although me and Matt always get lost anyways," Mello added with a mischievous smirk.

"Mello enjoys causing Roger to panic. He does it _every time_." Matt emphasized the last two words.

"And Roger freaks out _every time_. If his reaction wasn't so amusing, I'd stop." Mello had an evil glint in his eyes.

"Oh yeah, and buddies have to hold hands," B added as he snatched a jar of jam from the fridge. "It's usually not a problem. But Roger punishes us if we let go of each other's hand for even a _second_. So stick to your partner like glue."

Light nodded in understanding. "Okay. Sounds like fun." He smiled full-heartedly as he went to get himself some cereal. L grabbed the first pastry he could find, which happened to be a donut, and nibbled on it. Maybe it would be fun, for once. After all, his 'buddy' was now his best friend.

**A/N More cheesiness. Heh. I think I lowered the 'cheesy' factor a bit more, but yeah… Don't question why there aren't more Ls and Ms. This is an AU. That's why L and Light are the only Ls, and Matt and Mello are the only Ms. (Plus, they're the two most common yaoi pairings in the Death Note world. Can you say irony?)**

**Credit goes to my sister for the whole 'water cycle' and 'FC Science' thing. She's in 7****th**** grade, like Light, so I pestered her. She was my go-to source for this kind of thing. And the whole "rolling pin" thing really happened. Not exactly like that, but sort of like this:**

**Me: Name one tool and how it's used.**

**Her: Rolling pin, you know what it does.**

**Me: …Seriously?**

**Her: Uh, I don't know, a pie pan?**

**Me: No, something a little more complex, please.**

**Her: A PIE PAN IS VERY COMPLEX.**

**Then I gave up and just used rolling pin. But yeah, credit for the highlight of that conversation between L and Light goes to Hannah. ^^ **

**(P.S. I feel like I made L a Gary Sue by making him the only one on a college level… but in the real Death Note, everyone at Wammy's, although they're all younger than him, look up to him for his high intelligence. So I figured, he must've been the most intelligent.)**

**On that note, please tell me if there's anything you think was a little too… Gary Sueish? Or something in that form. I can try to tone down the Gary Sueish-ness, but… I dunno, I have a lot of the plot in mind, including the ending, so yeah…**

**Reviews are love, love is inspiration, and inspiration causes mass updates!**


	8. Fight, and Groceries

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies**

**ChipsAhoypup**

**Warning: Boy love. Don't like, don't read.**

**A/N So she said, 'What's the problem, baby?' What's the problem, I don't know, well maybe I'm in love. Think about it, every time I think about it, can't stop thinking about it. How much longer will it take to cure this? Just to cure it 'cause I can't ignore it if it's love. ~Accidentally In Love by Counting Crows**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. Credit for plot bunnies of the story go to Nikkacatmeki.**

_ Four boys were huddled together, although they looked extremely bored. "Ugh… we've played with every toy in Wammy's…" A white haired boy complained._

_ "What now?" A raven haired child asked, scooping a purple substance out of a jar._

_ "Why are you eating jam straight out of the bottle?" Another raven haired kid asked, wrinkling his nose._

_ "You're one to talk. You eat nothing but sugar," The jam-eating child shot back._

_ "D-don't fight," A brown haired boy whimpered, shrinking back some._

_ "…I'm sorry for scaring you, A," The jam-eating one said after a moment._

_ "Me too."_

_ "It's okay, B and L. I'm fine," A assured them with a small smile._

_ "But—" B began, but was interrupted by a loud, obnoxious voice._

_ "Matt! Where the hell are you?!" A blonde haired child—it was hard to tell whether it was a girl or a boy—breezed past the four, knocking A over. Of course, this put B on the defensive._

_ "Hey!" Shouted B, jumping to his feet and storming over to the obnoxious blonde. "Who do you think you are, shouting and pushing my friends over?!"_

_ "I think I'm Mello," The blonde shot back._

_ "Well, _Mello_, I think you're a ditz," B growled._

_ "And I think _you're_ an idiot." Mello turned and began walking away again. B, enraged, leapt forward and tackled the other to the ground._

_ The two children rolled around, a yellow-and-black blur. They were shouting unintelligible curse words, causing a group of children to be drawn towards them. L, Near, and A watched with wide eyes, waiting to see who would emerge victorious._

_ "Did Mello get in a fight again?" The three boys jumped at the voice that had suddenly appeared next to them. They turned to see a redhead wielding a DS, a bubblegum cigarette in his mouth._

_ "Is Mello the blonde?" Near asked, to which the redhead nodded. "Then yes."_

_ "Ugh..." The redhead rolled his eyes. He gently put the DS on the ground, balancing the bubblegum cigarette on it. Then he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Mells, if you don't stop fighting, I'm going to take away all your chocolate!"_

_ The rolling blonde immediately stopped. The raven, however, continued rolling, and barreled into A. "Oof!" B finally stopped rolling, awkwardly laying on top of A._

_ "Matt, you don't mean that, do you?" Mello gasped, paying no attention to the others._

_ "Yes, I do," Matt answered smugly. _

_ "Okay, I'll be good, I promise," Mello whimpered, scurrying up to Matt and practically clinging to his legs. Like an over-excited puppy greeting his master._

_ "Apologize," Matt ordered, pointing at B, who had just climbed off of A. He was presently brushing himself off._

_ "…" Mello turned towards B, staring stubbornly for a moment, before uttering a quiet, "Sorry."_

_ B just stared, looking hesitant to reply. "Say you're sorry too," A whispered encouragingly. _

_ "…I'm sorry too," B huffed after a moment._

_ "Hey, you two want to join us?" L spoke up in an effort to break the tension._

_ "Why, what are you doing?" Mello asked skeptically._

_ "Um… nothing, actually," L sighed._

_ "Then how about _you_ join _us_?" Mello smirked slyly._

_ "Hm?" L blinked._

_ "We're playing Super Smash Brothers, want to play?" Matt pitched in._

_ "…What's Super Smash Brothers?" A and B asked in unison. Matt and Mello gaped._

_ "…Y-you don't know…? Wow. You guys are deprived. Come on, I'll show you how to play," Matt said, gesturing for them to follow. The four exchanged a wary glance before shrugging and following their new pair of friends._

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

The four chosen children piled into the car. Mello and Matt fought over the front, although L and Light were content with the back seat. Eventually, Roger told Mello and Matt that they could both sit in the front.

Mello and Matt agreed, not so reluctantly.

"Put on music, Roger, put on music," The two passenger seaters chanted as the car went into motion.

"If I do, will you two _shut up_?" Roger growled, glaring at Mello and Matt as he screeched to a halt at a red traffic light.

"Maybe," Mello snickered.

The driver groaned and turned on the radio, muttering about how he wished he hadn't brought the two Ms.

Mello and Matt seemed to know the song, and sang it at the top of their lungs. L and Light, however, listened silently, taking in the lyrics.

_Well you done done me and you bet I felt it  
I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted  
I fell right through the cracks  
And now I'm trying to get back  
Before the cool done run out  
I'll be giving it my bestest  
Nothing's going to stop me but divine intervention  
I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some_

_I won't hesitate no more, no more  
It cannot wait, I'm yours_

_Well open up your mind and see like me  
Open up your plans and damn—_

Apparently Roger rather disliked swear words. Even ones as harmless as "damn." Right when Mello and Matt blurted it out, Roger changed the station. The two in the front became silent, grumpy as a song they didn't know came on.

_Red, Blue, Green lights  
Flicker undercover  
Miss me like no other._

_Miss me like no other._

_Blackout trailblazing  
Jokin' underwater  
Miss me like no other._

_Miss me like no other._

_We get a little lonesome  
We get a little low sometimes._

Light hummed the song quietly to himself, while L stared out the side of the window. He listened to Light's humming more than he listened to the actual song.

_And what you say  
Just fades away  
Get down on a low day._

The next verse was just about to start, but before Light could continue humming, the car hit a bump. It jumped, and L, who was sitting in his weird crouch without a seatbelt restricting him, tumbled to the left. Which was where Light happened to be sitting.

The raven collided with the brunette, both grunting in pain.

The car continued moving, as if nothing had happened.

L lay uncomfortably on Light's lap, sprawled out like a dog who wanted his stomach rubbed. Before he could even move, the two front-seaters chorused, "L and Light sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

L felt his face turn red, and he glanced up at Light to see the color he expected to be on his own face reflected on the brunette's. "S-sorry… the car hit a bump… and I fell…" L stammered, climbing off of Light's lap and backing away.

"I-it's okay… I understand…" Light murmured, turning to stare out the window. L turned in the opposite direction, his back to Light, as the song droned on. The rest of the ride was awkward; L and Light were as silent as mice, while Matt and Mello occasionally sung to songs they were familiar with.

At last, they arrived at the grocery store. L got out the door on the right while Light got out on the door on the left. They seemed reluctant to join hands, but did so due to their fear of Roger, who wouldn't stop glaring until their hands were connected.

Matt and Mello linked arms and skipped into the store, loudly harmonizing, "We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz."

The other two followed behind less enthusiastically. When they entered the store, Light halted and glanced around, looking tentative. "What's wrong?" L asked, tilting his head to the side while staring at Light.

"Nothing. Just reminiscing," Light said casually, brushing it off. L was doubtful, but he decided not to question it.

Roger stomped past them, making a beeline towards Mello and Matt, who had somehow gotten their hands on a cart. Mello sat in the cart. Matt gripped the handlebars tightly and bounded forward, shouting at people who were in their way. "It's like Mario Kart, only for real," Matt shouted as he spun the cart around a corner. Roger followed them, threatening to give them a detention if they didn't stop.

"I think we were forgotten," L murmured, glancing around. "Should we go and start to collect food?"

"Yeah. Let's move quick before Mello and Matt get kicked out," Light decided, power-walking towards a random aisle. L trailed behind. "What do the kids at Wammy's like?"

"We all have our fetishes," L explained. "I prefer sweet food, B likes jam, Mello loves chocolate…" He trailed off with a shrug.

"So… The top three food items on our list are: sugary foods, jam, and chocolate?" Light asked, ticking them off on his fingers.

"Yeah, and we might need some healthy foods for the non-picky eaters… and you can get your favorite food too." L smiled the slightest bit, which made Light smile back.

"Okay." The two scrambled off to get a cart in their possession. Once they did so, they continued to grip each other's hand, in case Roger decided to make a surprise appearance while they were shopping.

L and Light seemed to be the only responsible ones; Mello and Matt's whooping was heard from the other end of the store, accompanied with Roger's furious shouts of rage.

"Okay, we have cookies, doughnuts, cinnamon rolls, chocolate, jam, apples, oranges," Light listed, pointing to each food item as he introduced them, as if he were introducing his friends to someone.

"All we need now is your favorite food," L quipped once Light finished naming every food item they had piled in the cart.

"Oh yeah." Light blinked, walking towards a different aisle. L followed behind, pushing the cart with one hand. It swerved to the side, nearly crashing into a lady and her child; L quickly broke his other hand out of Light's grip, putting both hands on the handlebar. He dodged the innocent lives just in time.

"Sorry," L murmured curtly as he passed by. The lady snorted in reply, scooping her child into her arms. She shot L a menacing glare, and the poor orphan's heart raced. He scrambled after Light's retreating figure.

Light hadn't noticed that L was no longer with him, and was now in the aisle he'd been aiming for. L pushed the cart into the aisle, then released his hands from the handlebar, turning towards the brunette.

"Did you get what you were looking for?" He breathed.

"Mmhmm." Light proudly held up a bag of potato chips.

"Hnh? Chips?" L tilted his head. "Are they sweet?"

Light burst out laughing at the raven's inquiry. L stared blankly, waiting patiently for the other orphan to contain his laughter.

After about forty seconds, Light stopped laughing. "No, they're salty."

"…What does salt taste like?" L ducked his head, expecting Light would laugh again.

"You mean you've never had salt before?" Light looked awe-struck.  
"No. But A said that there's salt on french fries." L paused, before adding, "He likes french fries a lot, but I don't know what they taste like either."

"Do you… do you ever eat normal food?" His voice held an emotion L had heard only once before. The emotion L had heard on the day he had arrived at Wammy's.

Pity.

"No, but it's only because I don't _want_ to. Sugar helps me think. That's all. I could eat 'normal' food if I wanted to," L growled, making air-quotes as he said the word, _normal_. "So don't feel sorry for me."

"…I never said I felt sorry for you." Irritation tingled in Light's voice. "What's your problem? I only ask a simple question, and then you get all angry."

"I don't have a problem." L narrowed his eyes, glaring at the brunette.

"There you go again. You're so easily angered." Light tossed his potato chip bag into the cart, grabbing hold of the handlebars before L could even move. "Come on." He reached out and folded his fingers around L's wrist.

L put as much distance between himself and Light as possible as the two made their way through the store, hands unwillingly linked together. "I don't hear them anymore. Where do you think they went?" Light asked after a moment of awkward silence.

"I have no clue. Let's just walk around the whole store. We're bound to find them at some point," L grumbled.

And find them they did. After ten minutes of scouring the store for the juvenile delinquents, they found the two huddled underneath a toilet paper tower. "Where's Roger?" L murmured as he came into their hearing distance.

"I dunno. We lost him after we ran him over with the cart," Matt answered, to which Mello snickered.

"Good times, good times," The blonde sighed.

"Good times? That was only five minutes ago." Matt blinked at Mello.

"I know." Mello socked Matt in the shoulder. "Don't be a smart-ass."

"Then _you_ don't be a dumb-ass," Matt retorted, shoving Mello to the side. The two continued to tussle with one another, until Light pointed out:  
"You're about to tip the toilet paper over."

Two things happened right at that moment:

One of the two pairs of kids backed away from the toilet paper to safety.

The other pair got crushed by a pile of toilet paper.

**A/N Cliffhanger. ^^ Can you guess who got to safety and who got a faceful of toilet paper? **


	9. Cheating, and Prizes

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies**

**ChipsAhoypup**

**Warning: Boy love. Don't like, don't read.**

**A/N Everything you say to me takes me one step closer to the edge, and I'm about to break. I need a little room to breathe, 'cause I'm one step closer to the edge, and I'm about to break. Shut up when I'm talking to you. ~One Step Closer by Linkin Park**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. Credit for plot bunnies of the story go to Nikkacatmeki.**

_ "Haha, I owned you again, Matt," A blonde teased, pointing mockingly at a redhead._

_ "Shut up. I let you win," Matt muttered, crossing his arms stubbornly._

_ "That's what they all say."_

_ "Mello. _Shut. Up._" Matt glared at the blonde, who became silent._

_ "Okay, Mello and Matt, it's your turn to switch," A raven-hair said with a smirk. "L and Near's turn to join in."_

_ Since there were 6 children, two had to switch off every time. The four playing would do one round, before the two who hadn't switched off last time were pulled out of the game._

_ "Okay, here's how you pick a character." Matt assisted L, while Mello helped Near. Once they finished, they backed up and lounged on beanbag chairs, watching the battle._

_ "Why did you pick Pikachu?" Mello questioned L, while taking a bite out of a chocolate bar he had found hidden in his wardrobe._

_ "Is that who this character is?" L blinked. "I don't really know who any of the characters are, so I just picked the one that looked coolest to me."_

_ "…So you picked _Pikachu_?" Mello snorted._

_ "Yeah. Does it really matter?" L rapidly pressed the A button with his index finger, watching the yellow rodent on the screen furiously kick at B's character, Fox._

_ "Goddammit, L, can you stop hitting me so many times? I can't move," Complained B, also tapping the A button as fast as possible._

_ "No, that's the point of the game," L stated calmly while Pikachu consistently kicked Fox with its yellow paws of doom._

_ "I'll help, B," A said softly, pressing his thumb against the joystick. His character, Kirby, trudged up to the Pikachu. A jammed his finger on the B button. Kirby opened it's mouth and inhaled the helpless yellow rodent. A hit the B button again, and Pikachu appeared next to the pink blob, who now had pointy yellow ears and a lightning-bolt-shaped tail that mimicked Pikachu's._

_ "Thanks, A," B praised his friend._

_ "You're wel—" A began, before Bowser struck Kirby with his claws. Kirby was but a pink blur, flying towards the top right corner of the screen. _Bam.

_ And Kirby didn't reappear._

_ "Well, it would appear that I have killed your character," Near spoke up for the first time._

_ "…" B stared at the screen, his thumbs hovering over the buttons on his controller. _

_ L recovered quickly. He slid the joystick down and pressed the B button. A lightning bolt streaked down from the sky, hitting Bowser against the head and knocking him backwards._

_ The game continued on, and Bowser was quick at knocking Fox out of the round. Then it was only Bowser and Pikachu left. Near and L._

_ A barrel happened to fall down from the sky and land next to Bowser. He picked it up and chucked it at Pikachu. The barrel exploded against the yellow rodent, knocking Pikachu off the board and knocking L out of the round. _

_ "Hey, that's cheating," B shouted accusingly, glaring at Near._

_ "Is not. I'm allowed to use any items I want to defeat him. It's part of the game." Near stared at B boredly._

_ "That's not fair though. We didn't use any items the whole round," B complained._

_ "So? Life isn't fair." Near put the controller down, getting to his feet. "I'm done playing." Before anyone could object, he turned and left the room._

_ "Cheater," B called after him._

_ "It wasn't necessarily cheating. And it's just a game. No need to be so hard on him," L protested quietly._

_ "Shut up. You lost against a cheater. So I say that you're the real winner," B hissed. _

_ "But—"_

_ "Shut up, L!" B snapped, turning on the other raven, who shrank back._

_ "…B…" L whimpered._

_ It was the first time that B had ever turned on L, or any child had for that matter. And it wasn't the last._

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

The two safe ones stared at the hill of toilet paper that covered their friends. A long moment of silence followed, before the safe ones burst out laughing.

The ones underneath the hill of toilet paper wriggled around in an attempt to get to fresh air. Light was the first to emerge, panting wildly. "Stop laughing," He ordered as he caught his breath.

L popped his head out next, a white strip of paper hanging down in front of his face. He huffed loudly, the toilet paper flapping in front of his face. Irritated, he pushed the roll off his head.

Mello and Matt's laughter heightened in volume. L flinched the slightest bit. "Roger's going to find us," He murmured, mostly to himself. This caused the two Ms to abruptly stop laughing.

"We're dead," Light grumbled, standing up. He waded out of the toilet paper rolls. "Let's try to clean this back up."

L nodded in agreement. "Why don't you two help?" He turned towards where Mello and Matt were. Or, _had_ been. They had vanished into thin air, apparently.

"They'd be good secret agents," Light commented upon noticing that Mello and Matt were gone.

"Or good thieves." L picked up a roll of toilet paper.

"Yeah." Light laughed a bit as he collected a couple more of the TP. He and L got to work, stacking them as neatly as two twelve-year-olds could.

It took them fifteen minutes to completely rebuild the pyramid. They stood back to admire it. "It looks even better than it had before," L said.

"It looks awesome," Light agreed.

"L! Light!" The two flinched at Roger's voice. They quickly joined hands again. The old man stormed up, a scowl tattooed on his face. "Did you two knock over that toilet paper tower?"

L and Light exchanged an appalled glance. They turned back to see Mello and Matt peeking from behind Roger, sticking their tongues out mockingly. "No. They did it," L answered, pointing at the two taunting boys.

Roger turned just in time to see Mello and Matt pulling their tongues back through their lips.

"Of course. Why hadn't I figured this out myself?" Roger grumbled, looking irritated for being so stupid. "You two. Go to the car."

"But—" Mello began to protest.  
"_Now_." Roger's voice held so much venom that it sent Mello and Matt skittering towards the car as fast as their little feet could go.

"We cleaned the toilet paper up," L said, tilting his head to the side innocently.

"And we got enough food to last us the month," Light put in, following L's innocent façade. He pulled the cart away from the neatly-rebuilt toilet paper stack to reveal the food piled in the cart.

"You two are such good boys," Roger praised, patting their heads. "You both deserve a prize for your behavior."

"We don't need anything," L hastily replied. "We only did it because we knew it would be dark out by the time you were done chasing Mello and Matt."

"Yeah, it was for the sake of the other orphans." Light wanted a prize badly, but he figured he should just play along. Maybe L had a plan.

"Are you sure?" Roger asked. This was the nicest Light had ever seen him.

"I'm sure," L confirmed.

"Well, alright." Roger gave them both another pat before taking a hold of the cart, pushing it towards the check-out aisle. Light begrudgingly followed. So L didn't have a plan. He was just being selfless. Light was irritated now; he wanted a prize so badly! But, no, instead, he got a stupid, meaningless pat on the head.

"Light, are you okay?" L nudged his companion with his elbow—the one that wasn't holding Light's hand.

"Yes." Light's voice felt far away.

"You look angry," The raven continued. "Why are you so mad?"

"I'm _not_ angry." Light stopped walking, turning to glare at L. "Besides, you have no right to accuse _me_ of being angry! _You're_ the one who randomly yells at me when I ask a simple question!"

"Like you're doing right now?" Light's glare turned into a wide-eyed stare.

"Yo—I—" Light stuttered. "I'm not—I didn't mean to—"

"I know." L's voice was sincere. He continued, "I understand what you're going through. I've gone through the same thing. Do you think…" He looked around, then dropped his voice to a whisper. "Do you think I _want_ to be at Wammy's? Do you think any kid does?"

"…I suppose not," Light murmured. What did this have to do anything? He just wanted a prize.

"Do you know how many kids have tried to escape? During my time of being here?" L asked, to which Light shook his head. "A lot. Too many to count. And do you know how many came back?" Light shook his head again. "Zero."

"So… they escaped?" Light inquired.

"Nope. Not even close. The moment they set foot outside, an alarm went off, and they were captured instantly. No time to escape." L paused, then queried, "Based on that information, why do you think we have to hold hands?"

It didn't take long for Light to process this. "So that, if we run away… we'd have to run away together?" But that didn't make sense.

"Exactly."

"…Huh?"

"Think about it." L stared at Light intently as the brunette contemplated this information. Two boys running away together. Well, there were many ways that could go wrong. Lack of food. Arguments. Easily identifiable.

…Easily identified.

"Well, if they were looking for us, they'd just have to ask someone if they'd seen two boys, and could describe us, right? It would be easier than if they were looking for one boy, because there are many people out there who may be looking for someone who fits the same description. But it would be easier to identify us if they could ask if someone had seen two boys, and described the both of us. Correct?"

"That is correct." L nodded approvingly. "Obviously, there are things that could go wrong with that anyways. And usually Roger keeps a close eye on us. However, Mello and Matt were distracting him. I guess he figured a college level and a newcomer wouldn't try to run away."

"What's so bad about this place? Why do kids want to run away anyway?" Light finally asked the question that had been on his mind.

"Nothing's wrong with it. But… kids feel trapped here. They're separated from their parents, and aren't even allowed foster parents. They're simply put here, where they're educated for the rest of their life with no parental figures. Don't get me wrong, there are many kids who are grateful for being here, and who stay. But there are other kids who would rather decide their own future. Who would rather be free." L's words had Light mesmerized.

"You mean… they decide our future for us?" Light whispered, bewildered.

"Yes. No one really has a separate future. They're training us all for the same thing. Some will be better than others. Some won't ever get the objective, no matter how hard they try." L gave an exasperated sigh. "And since I'm the only one on a college level, they're making me the role model. I'll be the first—"

L abruptly stopped talking. Light followed his gaze to see that Roger was coming back over, his arms full of bags of food. "A little help, boys?" The old man called. L and Light scurried over to assist the elder.

As they carried the bags out to the car, Light was thinking about what L had said. So much so that he forgot all about the prize.

**A/N Ah, yes. The plot thickens. Isn't the grocery store such an odd place for the plot to thicken at? I guess that makes it more interesting.**

**Oh yeah, and I feel like I make too much too obvious. I'm going to try to make things more mysterious, if possible. But the characters seem to have a mind of their own. They like to blurt things out without thinking about it. (I guess you could blame me for that, if you want…)**


	10. Sports, and Misunderstandings

**I Write Sins, Not Tragedies**

**ChipsAhoypup**

**Warning: Boy love. Don't like, don't read.**

**A/N "Yes! They used to tie you up." "It's a living." "I didn't recognize you without the handcuffs." ~Light My Candle by RENT. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. Credit for plot bunnies of the story go to Nikkacatmeki.**

_Roger had taken the As and Bs to the grocery shop, leaving only four of the six friends. Mello was eating a chocolate bar, and L was polishing off the rest of the ice cream. Matt was playing Pokemon, and Near was playing with his toy cars._

_Needless to say, it was fairly quiet._

"_We should do something," Mello suggested after he had swallowed a piece of his chocolate._

"_Like what?" Near glanced up from his cars._

"_Like…" Mello tapped the half-eaten chocolate bar against his chin. "I don't know." He sighed dejectedly._

"_We could do something active," L spoke up. Near and Mello stared at L as if he had two heads. Matt snorted, but didn't bother looking up from his video game. "I'm serious! All we do is sit around playing video games and eating."_

"_I don't do either of those as excessively as you guys," Near mumbled._

"_No, but you sit around and play with toys. Why don't we play a sport?" _

"_What kind of sport?" Matt was suddenly paying attention. _

"_I don't know. What do you guys think?" L asked. _

"_Soccer!"_

"_Basketball!"_

"_Baseball!" _

_The three shouted their suggestions in unison, then glared at each other upon discovering that they didn't agree._

"_What about… tennis?" L tilted his head to the side quizzically._

"…_Okay," The other three sighed reluctantly. They put down the objects they were holding and went outside to play tennis. _

_L and Near won, and Mello wouldn't stop cursing Matt out for "making them lose." All in all, it had been a nice, active day._

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

The car ride home was full of silence. Mello and Matt were sulking due to the fact that they didn't get to listen to music, and L and Light preferred to keep quiet.

When they finally got back to the orphanage, Mello and Matt instantly sprang out of the car and raced in to avoid carrying any of the groceries in. The two remaining boys sighed and reluctantly helped Roger carry the food inside the orphanage.

"Thanks again, boys," Roger praised the two, patting their heads once more. This seemed to remind the brunette about his earlier anger over the fact that he had not gotten a prize.

"Can we go play now?" Light asked, making his eyes as wide as possible; the puppy-dog face had always worked on his mother.

"…Sure. You two helped enough." Before Roger could thank them again, the two scrambled off. They didn't need any more pats on the head.

They immediately stormed over to Matt and Mello's room. Light pushed L aside rather roughly and began knocking on the door. As hard as possible. He was P.O.'d.

"Whoooo iiissss iiitttt?" Mello called in a high-pitched, sing-song voice. From the sound of it, he was standing right at the door.

"It's God. I've come to give you the heart that I'd forgotten to put in you when I first created you," Light replied snidely. L snickered.

There was a moment of silence from the other side of the door. Then Matt called, "Hey, God, did you run out of brains when Light was being created?"

Said brunette twitched in irritation as the two Ms erupted into laughter.

"No, but I can't say the same about you," L stated calmly, walking closer to the door so that Matt and Mello could hear them. The laughter abruptly cut off.

"…Well… you're stupid," Mello snapped.

"And you're intelligent," L said. Light stared at him. "Oh. I'm sorry, I thought we were having a lying contest." Light burst out laughing and high-fived L.

This left Mello and Matt at a loss. The door creaked open a bit, enough so only Mello's eye was visible. "So what did you _really_ want?"

"…Give me all your money." Light held up his hand in a way that imitated a gun. L quickly held up his hand in the same fashion. Mello's eye narrowed.

"Hang on a sec," He growled, shutting the door. Light and L kept their hands up in the "gun" position, waiting.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and water gushed against the two helpless boys. The geyser didn't cease for a good fifty seconds. When it finally did stop, L and Light were dripping wet. They spluttered, wiping water out of their eyes.

"We just beat you at your own game," Snickered Mello, stroking his water gun. Matt held his steadily on his shoulder, looking bored.

"Can we just finish our Kirby Air-Ride race?" The redhead sighed exasperatedly.

"Sure, Matt. Whatever floats your boat." Mello squirt Light one more time, right in the face. As the brunette gasped for air, the blonde smirked and turned back towards the door. He coolly trotted back into his and Matt's room, and the gamer was quick to follow. The door slammed shut behind them.

"You okay?" L asked, staring at Light in concern.

"Y-yeah," Light panted, wiping his face off with his sleeve. "Bastards…"

"Let's get some towels," L suggested, grabbing a hold of Light's wrist. He practically dragged the boy through the hallway, towards the bathroom. As they entered, L released his grip on Light. He shut the bathroom door, then padded over to the towel rack. The raven-haired child took two cotton towels off the rack, carelessly tossing one towards Light, who was able to catch it with ease.

"Stupid… idiotic… morons…" Light muttered under his breath. He dried his hair carefully, making sure not to rub it the wrong way. L stared emotionlessly, placing the towel on top of his ebony locks. He ruffled the towel against his hair in all directions, not seeming to care about his hair's appearance. "Why is your hair always so messy?" Light asked, pulling the towel off of his head. He began to brush the towel against his arms.

"Because I simply don't care enough to brush it." L left the towel draping over his head. He nibbled on his thumbnail, staring at Light owlishly. "Why is your hair always so perfect?"

"Well… because I brush it every day."

"Why?"

"Because…" Light blinked. "Um… I want my hair to look nice?"

"Huh," L grunted, crouching down on the tiled floor. He leaned slightly against the metal beam that supported the towel rack. "And why do you want your hair to look nice?"

"…Why don't _you_ want _your_ hair to look nice?" Light shot back.

"Because if I sat and tended to my hair, I'd just be wasting my time. What's the point in that?" L turned his gaze upwards, towards the ceiling.

"The point is so that you won't be a laughingstock in public." Light was presently working on getting the water off of his legs.

"So? Why should I care about what others think about me?" L slid the towel off of his head. He peeled his sopping, see-through white shirt off. The child held it out in front of him, twisting it sharply. Droplets of water gently splattered against the tile floor, quickly creating a small puddle.

"But… how can you not care? Aren't you afraid of getting made fun of?" Light quickly mimicked L; he stripped off his black polyester shirt and wrung it out.

"No. Their opinions shouldn't matter. Besides, most of what they say are just lies anyway. Put-downs that make themselves feel better." L carefully folded his still-damp shirt, placing it in his lap. Although that wasn't a good idea, since his jeans were even more soaked than his shirt had been. But he didn't seem to mind.

"Yeah, but they can physically hurt you too," Light pointed out, trembling slightly. Whether it was from the cold atmosphere in the bathroom or from terrifying memories from the past, L couldn't tell.

"To an extent," L replied with a small shrug. Light stared, seeming puzzled. "What I'm saying is, they can't hurt you too badly, because you could sue—"

"Suing doesn't resolve anything. Money doesn't heal the injuries. They're always there. You can't take away what you'd done," Light argued, his eyes glazed over, as if he was in a whole other world.

"…No, if you have a physical injury, money could pay for the surgery. Therefore, it would resolve alo—" L began, but Light hastily interrupted:  
"What about mental injuries?! What about someone literally killing another person?! What about your dad killing your mom in front of your very own eyes, then getting sent to prison, while you get sent to an orphanage?! What about that?!" Light shrilled. L's eyes widened as Light almost robotically stamped over to the raven.

"What are you—?" L began, but Light answered his question with an action. The auburn snatched the folded shirt out of L's lap. "Hey!" L complained, quickly clutching the sleeve.

"Give it to me," Light ordered, his eyes still glazed over. L felt a shiver go down his back. The look in Light's eyes was purely frightening.

"No! Let! Go!" L shouted, pulling on the sleeve. The two began playing a violent, unfriendly game of tug-of-war.

"If you don't give it to me, I'll—" Light threatened.

"You'll what? Kill me? Isn't that a little hypocritical?" L cut in. Light stared, seeming to be paralyzed by those words. L quickly yanked backwards on the sleeve, causing Light to loose his balance. He collapsed forward, onto the raven. "Ow!"

"S-sorry," Light whimpered, staring at L. Tears were welling up in his wide, sepia eyes. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to… did I hurt you?"

"No. I'm fine." L smiled softly, glad that the more innocent side of Light was back. "But… why did you suddenly go all maniacal on me?"

"I… I don't know. Oh! The, er, men at the clinic gave me special medications for that. I guess I forgot to take them," Light said sheepishly.

"Medications…? Is it a disease or something?" L inquired.

"N… not really. But they it is a real diagnosis. Post… Post-Trau…. Post-Trauma…" Light attempted to pronounce it. He paused, staring into space for a moment, thinking. "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder!" He finally declared, seeming triumphant at the fact that he remembered. Although the triumphant expression was odd when combined with the fact that he was wiping his tears off on his bare arm.

"Post-Traumatic…?" L looked lost.

"Yeah. They didn't really tell me what it is. But they gave me medications for it." There was an awkward silence.

"Could you please get off of me now?" L asked, breaking the silence. The way Light's bare chest was on his… it actually felt kind of good actually. The brunette was warm.

Before Light could even move, the bathroom door burst open, and two nosy boys collapsed onto the tile floor. Mello sat up, eyes wide. He stared at Light and L, and his surprised expression gave way to a smug one. "So, Light's the seme? I always thought L would be the one on top."

L and Light looked confused. "Maybe they switch, like us," Matt spoke up, sitting up and straightening his goggles atop his head.

"No, L sounded pretty reluctant. Didn't you hear him shouting 'Let go'?" Mello stood and held out a hand towards Matt, who gratefully took it and pulled himself up.

"I'm still here. And I have no idea what you're talking about. For once." L was very uncomfortable in this position. He was laying flat on the ground, his head turned towards the right so that he could see Mello and Matt. And Light was still laying on him.

"You wouldn't know," Mello said, rolling his eyes and scoffing.

"Yes they would. They were obviously doing it," Matt argued.

"That's true. But I bet they don't know what 'seme' and 'uke' means." Mello smirked slightly.

"…Seme and… uke…?" L asked slowly, clearly clueless.

"Yup. By the looks of it, you're uke, which, I have to admit, completely surprises me."

Light was the first to partially process the concept of what Mello was saying. "What ever it is you think we were doing… we weren't."

"Of course you weren't," Mello said sarcastically. "Look, it's obvious you were having se—"  
"Mello!" Matt clapped a hand over the blonde's mouth. "That's not for virgin ears."

Light now knew exactly what they were talking about. L, however, was still puzzled. "You… thought… we…" Light slowly growled.

"Yes," Matt interjected.

"We _didn't_," Light said exasperatedly.

"Denial," Mello and Matt sang together.

"We heard you from outside the door… because we just _happened_ to be walking by," Mello mused.

"And you just so _happened_ to be screaming things such as 'give it to me' and 'let go,'" Matt continued.

"So we just _had _to listen in," Mello finished, with a confirming nod.

"Do you want to know what _really_ happened?" Light asked, his gaze filled with irritation and wariness combined into one.

"Yes," Mello and Matt cheered in unison.

Light took a deep breath, and began to explain what had happened.

**A/N Laziness = a cliffhanger.**


End file.
